CSCCWRS Silver Dollar Speedway Preview 98-09-16

CHICO, CA (9-16-98) - Competitors of the California Sprint Car Civil War Race Series are gearing up for the biggest event of the 1998 Civil War Campaign, the second annual Pacific Sprint Cup at Silver Dollar Speedway. This event is the 10th round of competition on the 13-race Civil War campaign and is an invitational open to the top 32-drivers in the current Civil War Point Standings.

Boasting a purse of $15,000, the Pacific Sprint Cup is one of the highest paying events for Pacific "360" powered sprint cars during the regular season in Northern California. A total of $3000 will go to the winner of this event and those drivers who simply start the A-main will earn a minimum of $200. In addition to the sprint cars, the inaugural "Dirt Modified Cup" will run in conjunction with the Civil War show this year. This division will feature dirt IMCA style modifieds and is open to the top 22-drivers in the current Silver Dollar Speedway point standings. The event will be the season finale for the modified division.

Much like it did last year, the Pacific Sprint Cup will kick off a busy week of racing at John Padjen's 1/4 mile oval located on the Silver Dollar Fairground, which is home to the 45th Annual Gold Cup Race of Champions taking place September 16-19. The three days following the Pacific Sprint and Dirt Modified Invitationals will feature the World of Outlaw sprint cars as they wrap up their California swing.

As the Civil War series heads into round ten next Wednesday, Roger Crockett of Rio Linda continues to hold the series point lead. Although season-long rival Shane Scott scored his third win of the Civil War series last month at Silver Dollar, Crockett maintains a healthy 44-point lead over the multi-time Chico champion. One advantage for Scott entering next Wednesday's event is his decades of experience on his hometown track. Crockett, however, has logged several Chico victories during the regular championship campaign and has much success under his belt here. In the Civil War series, Crockett has logged a total of seven finishes in the top ten in feature event action. The second generation driver has finished in the top five on five different occasions, has logged one feature event win when the series visited Placerville Speedway last month and has clocked the fastest lap during three different qualifying sessions. Scott has logged seven top 10 finishes as well, four of which were in the top five. He has won three feature events in the series (Petaluma, Marysville, Chico) and earned fast time once.

Jeff Halleib of Grass Valley ranks third overall in the Civil War point standings. Halleib has finished in the top 10 four different times and in the top five once. He trails Scott by 59-points and narrowly holds off Roseville racer Chad Riolo who sits in third, just 7-points back. Jeff Young of Roseville rounds out the top five. Prospective 1998 Placerville Speedway champion David Robinson Jr. of Sacramento holds the sixth position ahead of additional top ten runners Billy Wallace, Scooter Lambert, Mark Hall and Colby Weisz.

The Pacific Sprint Cup will operate under standard Civil War rules and will follow the series format as well with qualifying, four heat races, a B-main event and a 40 lap A-main event all included in the program.

In the Dirt Modified division, Marysville's Randy McDaniel will lead the field. McDaniel, the winningest driver of the 1998 Colusa Indian Bingo and Casino, Pepsi, McCreary Tires championship season at Silver Dollar Speedway, holds a commanding point lead of 39-points entering this event. In one night of competition a driver can earn as many as 44-points toward the title, so a starting position in the A-feature is important to McDaniel in order to clinch the season title. Drivers joining McDaniel include Chico's Richard Papenhausen who ranks second in the season point standings, third place runner Joey Hubbard has logged an entry as well as Mike Sohnrey and Richard Brace, who round out the top five in the championship standings.

Action is scheduled to start on September 16 with qualifying for the Sprint Cars beginning at 6:30 followed by racing for both divisions at 7:30. All seats for this Wednesday event are general admission with adult tickets going on sale at 5 p.m. for $14, juniors $8, children $3. For any further information on this event contact the office of John Padjen Motorsports at (916) 969-7484.

CALIFORNIA SPRINT CAR CIVIL WAR RACE SERIES TOP 32 DRIVERS ELIGIBLE FOR THE PACIFIC SPRINT CUP, SEPT. 16

1.) Roger Crockett 617; 2.) Shane Scott 573; 3.) Jeff Halleib 514; 4.) Chad Riolo 507; 5.) Jeff Young 502; 6.) David Robinson Jr. 502; 7.) Billy Wallace 488; 8.) Scooter Lambert 485; 9.) Mark Hall 473; 10.) Colby Weisz 461; 11.) Kyle Schild 456; 12.) Ricky Wondergem 414; 13.) Steve Watts 400; 14.) Kevin Lovell 389; 15.) Korey Lovell 387; 16.) Jamie Cavagnaro 387; 17.) Mike Wasina Jr. 372; 18.) Bryan Bullard 366; 19.) Rick Frock 335; 20.) Mark Flachman 334; 21.) Randy Mello 325; 22.) Rich Tiner 321; 23.) Mark Tabor 308; 24.) Jonathan Allard 305; 25.) Alan Bradway 295; 26.) Jim VanLare 295; 27.) Claudia Harvey 288; 28.) Ray Rust 274; 29.) Shauna Hogg 267; 30.) Dennis Binstock; 31.) Andy Forsberg 261; 32.) Tim Sherman 237 ALTERNATE ENTRIES: 33.) Jim Richardsen 220; 34.) Billy Sellers 183; 35.) Marc Mackay 175; 36.) David Lindt Jr. 174.

Alternate entries will only be accepted if any of the 32 drivers that are eligible are unable to enter the September 16 event.

TOP 22 MODIFIED DRIVERS ELIGIBLE FOR THE INAUGURAL "DIRT MODIFIED CUP" AT SILVER DOLLAR SPEEDWAY ON SEPT. 16. 1.) Randy McDaniel 670; 2.) Richard Papenhausen 631; 3.) Joey Hubbard 570; 4.) Mike Sohnrey 555; 5.) Richard Brace 553; 6.) Duane Zeider 535; 7.) Mike Compton 521; 8.) Ken Micheli 475; 9.) Bryan Wright 447; 10.) Ben Madsen 428; 11.) Eddie Lewis 419; 12.) Mark Abouzeid 361; 13.) Tim Benintendi 334; 14.) Chris Olexiewicz 269; 15.) Mike Compton Jr. 230; 16.) Jim Black 219; 17.) Travis Moore 194; 18.) Jim Beller 171; 19.) Tom Arbogast 163; 20.) Bryan Evens 148; 21.) Dick Appelby 139; 22.) Shane Welch 123.

ALTERNATE ENTRIES: 23.) Matt Micheli 119; 24.) Dave Blaine 111; 25.) Lenny Toolaren 104; 26.) Travis Perry 92; 27.) Preston Hughes 83; 28.) Mark Welch 61

Alternate entries will only be accepted if any of the 22 drivers that are eligible are unable to enter the September 16 event.